Are Humans or Robots Better Fit for Exploring Space?

Experts debate whether people or probes make the best space explorers.

By Sarah Scoles
Mar 12, 2019 12:00 AMDec 20, 2019 10:09 PM
Astronaut and Rover - NASA
(Credit: NASA)

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Decades before anyone had built a rocket, earthlings had already argued in science fiction about who is more suited for space travel: humans or machines. Today, the debate drags on as private players like SpaceX and government agencies like NASA vie to send people to the moon, Mars and beyond. But such missions are costly, and human bodies remain sensitive to space’s harsh conditions. Maybe robots would simply prove better, cheaper, faster. In Science Smackdown, we let experts argue the evidence.

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